Esquire.com, the online partner of the iconic men's magazine tried to be a little braver with their Sexiest Women Alive Atlas. True that they featured Minka Kelly as their cover girl, but then they went further: they featured 194 women, one from each country on the planet, and based on their unique traits, quirks and talents, named each as their respective country’s sexiest woman.

“Esquire.com sought out in early 2010 to find exactly what we found in Minka Kelly…in 194 other women: something different, something beautiful, something that reveals a little bit more than who we are.” The men’s magazine found something especially unique and, yes, beautiful in the Philippines’ Maria Ressa.

The brief blurb about Ressa said that “Despite her size, (she was) fearless enough to write an eyewitness account of Al-Qaeda.” In that one sentence, Ressa proved beyond all doubt that smarts and a daring spirit can magnify a woman, just as effectively as this season’s must-have lipstick shade.

We here at Female Network know that beauty counts for much more than height, weight and skintone. We’ve come up with a list of the top 5 things that makes every woman beautiful.

1. BRAINS

It is undeniable that there is nothing more compelling than someone who is able to make up his/her own mind without the influence of other people. It takes more than book smarts, though. The ability to adapt and flourish under new and challenging circumstances takes a lot of mind-power.

2. A SENSE OF HUMOR

How many times have we said that one of the most important things a friend should have is a sense of humor? Being able to appreciate the funny and the ridiculous, especially after a bad day at the office, or being able to feel great even if we’re having a bad hair month makes anyone completely irresistible.

3. BRAVERY

A lot more is asked of women these days. We’re daughters, sisters, mothers, breadwinners, leaders of industry, and so on. It takes nerves of steel to be able to stand toe-to-toe with people who will try to intimidate you at every step and still come out on top. A truly sexy woman is confident and comfortable in any situation – even in those where she silently quakes in her stilettos.

4. EMPATHY

Genuinely feeling for someone else is truly hard to fake when it’s easier to put on a (fake) sad face and then ignore everything once you turn away. Empathy is sexy because it’s something that comes from the goodness that is deep inside you. And while we say dangerous is attractive, it’s the nice ones (male or female) that leave a special mark in our hearts.

5. KINDNESS

No matter how physically beautiful someone is, and no matter how perfectly dressed, coiffed and manicured you are, if you have the heart of a Disney villain, you can’t be worth much. Kindness – real kindness – lights a person from within. That’s the kind of sexiness that lasts forever.

Do you agree with Esquire’s list? Did they make the right choice with Maria Ressa, or do you feel that someone else deserves to be named as the world's sexiest Filipina? Comment below and let us know what you think.